Receptacle for trash compactors

Abstract

An improved receptacle for a trash compactor is mounted on a drawer for movement into and out of the compactor along rails on the drawer. The receptacle is spaced from the rails so that dents or deformations of the receptacle do not affect the rails. The rear end wall of the compactor may be slanted so as to accommodate the arcuate travel of the ram of the compacting mechanism and the receptacle has a pyramidal shape to facilitate removal of the compacted trash.

We claim: 
     
       1. In a trash compactor having a positioning means for mounting a compaction means along a compaction axis, the improvement comprising: a support deck having generally parallel movement means mounted on either side thereof engagable in said positioning means for moving said support deck with respect to said positioning means in a direction generally perpendicular to said compaction axis;   a generally rectangular receptacle for containing the trash to be compacted, said receptacle including a wall means having a pair of planar side walls and a rear end wall formed of flexible sheet material, said wall means being affixed to a surface of said support deck intermediate said movement means so that said surface of said support deck forms a bottom for said wall means, said receptacle being positionable along said compaction axis and sized to receive said compaction means, said planar side walls being spaced inwardly from the sides of said deck and said movement means a distance sufficient to prevent deflection or distortion of said receptacle from affecting the operation of said movement means; and   a front panel hingedly retained on at least one of said support deck and wall means for movement between a closed position in which said front panel abuts the forward portions of said side walls to form a front end wall of said receptacle and an open position permitting removal of the compacted trash from said wall means, said front panel being mateable with said positioning means and forming, with said support deck, a drawer for the trash compactor, said front panel having flange means for embracing the forward portions of said side walls when said front panel is in the closed position along substantially the entire dimension in abutment with said front panel, said flange means being formed to permit the hinged movement of said front panel with respect to said side walls and to brace the forward portion of said side walls when said front panel is closed while allowing said side walls to flex when said front panel is open.   
     
     
       2. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said spacing of said side walls from said movement means is obtained by forming said side walls of said wall means so as to generally converge towards each other and to diverge with respect to said parallel movement means. 
     
     
       3. The improvement according to claim 2 wherein said rear end wall is smaller in lateral dimension than said front panel, thereby to provide a rearward convergence to said side walls. 
     
     
       4. The improvement according to claim 3 wherein said compaction means includes a ram mounted on an extensible linkage means, said ram having an arcuate path of travel from the front toward the rear of said receptacle along the compaction axis and wherein said rear end wall of said receptacle is formed as to diverge from said compaction axis in the direction of extension of said linkage means, thereby to accommodate the arcuate path of said ram. 
     
     
       5. The improvement according to claim 4 wherein said side walls and rear end wall are formed of a single sheet of bent material, the fold lines between said rear end walls and side walls lying at a converging angle thereby to provide the divergence to the rear end wall and a pyramidal taper to said side wall for relieving the wedging action of the compacted trash in the receptacle. 
     
     
       6. The improvement according to claim 2 wherein said side walls are so formed as to be pyramidally tapered along the compaction axis in a direction extending away from said support deck, thereby to relieve the wedging action of the compacted trash in the receptacle. 
     
     
       7. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said side walls are so formed as to be pyramidally tapered along the compaction axis in a direction extending away from said support deck, thereby to relieve the wedging action of the compacted trash in the receptacle. 
     
     
       8. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said receptacle is suitable for receiving a bag in which compaction occurs, said bag having a cuff extending along the exterior of said side walls, wherein said flange means is contiguous with the forward portions of said side walls when said door is closed for clamping said cuff between said flanges means and said side walls for retaining the bag in the receptacle against removal forces exerted by the compaction means. 
     
     
       9. The improvement according to claim 8 wherein said front panel is hinged on one of said side walls. 
     
     
       10. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said front panel and one of said side walls has means engageable when said front panel is in the closed position for positioning said front panel in a predetermined location with respect to said side walls. 
     
     
       11. In a trash compactor having a positioning means for mounting a compaction means along a compaction axis, the improvement comprising: a support deck having generally parallel movement means mounted on either side thereof engagable in said positioning means for moving said support deck with respect to said positioning means in a direction generally perpendicular to said compaction axis;   a generally rectangular receptacle for containing the trash to be compacted, said receptacle including a wall means having a pair of planar side walls and a rear end wall, said wall means being affixed to a surface of said support deck intermediate said movement means so that said surface of said support deck forms a bottom for said wall means, said receptacle being positionable along said compaction axis and sized to receive said compaction means, said planar side walls being spaced inwardly from the sides of said deck and said movement means a distance sufficient to prevent deflection or distortion of said receptacle from affecting the operation of said movement means, said walls being so formed as to be pyramidally tapered along the compaction axis in a direction extending away from said support deck, thereby to relieve the wedging action of the compacted trash in the receptacle and   a front panel coupled to at least one of said support deck and wall means for forming a front wall closing and receptacle, said front panel forming, with said support deck, a drawer for the trash compactor.   
     
     
       12. In a trash compactor having a positioning means for mounting a compaction means along a compaction axis, the improvement comprising: a support deck having generally parallel movement means mounted on either side thereof engagable in said positioning means for moving said support deck with respect to said positioning means in a direction generally perpendicular to said compaction axis;   a generally rectangular receptacle for containing the trash to be compacted, said receptacle including a wall means having a pair of planar side walls and a rear end wall, said wall means being affixed to a surface of said support deck intermediate said movement means so that said surface of said support deck forms a bottom for said wall means, said receptacle being positionable along said compaction axis and sized to receive said compaction means, said planar side walls being spaced inwardly from the sides of said deck and said movement means a distance sufficient to prevent deflection or distortion of said receptacle from affecting the operation of said movement means; and   a front panel coupled to at least one of said support deck and wall means for forming a front wall closing said receptacle, said front panel forming, with said support deck, a drawer for the trash compactor, said receptacle being suitable for receiving a bag in which compaction occurs, said bag having a cuff extending along the exterior of said side walls, said front panel being movable with respect to said side walls between open and closed positions, said front panel having flange means contiguous with the forward portion of said side walls when said front panel is closed for clamping said cuff between said flange means and said side walls for retaining the bag in the receptacle against removal forces exerted by the compaction means.   
     
     
       13. The improvement according to claim 12 wherein said front panel is hinged on one of said side walls.